The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that newborn babies should ride rear-facing in an automotive vehicle from birth to at least one year and 20 pounds. There are two types of rear-facing car seats: (i) rear-facing only infant car seats that can also be used as carriers, and (ii) convertible car seats that convert from rear-facing to forward-facing as the child grows.
Infant car seats in the market today are popular because of the convenience they offer to parents. Infant car seats have a carry handle, which enables the car seat to be used as a carrier. The carrier capability allows the parent to carry a sleeping child from car to home without disturbing the child. The infant car seats also can be snapped onto a stroller to make a travel system.
Despite the many benefits of infant car seats, the usage of such car seats is limited only to the infant's first six to eight months of life. Most infant car seats are rated by manufacturers for use from birth to 22 pounds. According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics (Revised 2001), a 50th percentile eight month old weighs 20 pounds and measures 28 inches in length. Thus, infants younger than one year may outgrow rated weight and height limits established by manufacturers.
Parents see first symptoms of this outgrowth when they notice that the child's legs and feet extend past the car seat and kick against the vehicle seat back. Parents perceive that this outgrowth makes the child uncomfortable.
Convertible car seats offer an interim solution for children who have outgrown their infant car seat, yet may not be physically ready to face forward. The convertible car seats enable growing infants to stay rear-facing longer by providing additional legroom and room at the top of the seat. However, as compared to infant car seats, convertible car seats are large and heavy because these seats have to fit a toddler usually up to 40 pounds while used in the forward-facing mode. Hence, parents lose the carrying convenience and flexibility offered by rear-facing only infant car seats.
There is a need in the art for an infant car seat that captures the benefits of both infant car seats and convertible car seats.